


Co-Overlords of the Universe

by J3stAnsel



Category: Kirby (Video Games)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Gijinka, Humor, IN SPACE!, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, Trans Male Character, basically mute kirby, dad dedede, dad meta knight, gays in space, kirby is basically a child, kirby uses sign language, marx curses a lot, marx is a little shit, post-super star, pre-return to dreamland, shifting pov, trans magolor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22399810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J3stAnsel/pseuds/J3stAnsel
Summary: (HUMAN AU) After his deadly battle against the legendary star warrior, Kirby, Marx is sent careening into space and crashes into the Galactic Nova. Miraculously, however, Marx survives and wakes up to find himself on an unfamiliar space ship in the middle of nowhere. Furthermore, his wings have been broken and his powers are gone. While there, he meets Magolor, a mysterious alien stranger who claims to be the ship’s captain. Magolor makes Marx an offer: Marx helps him find the Master Crown, Magolor finds a way to restore Marx’s powers, and the two rule the universe together.
Relationships: King Dedede/Meta Knight, Magolor & Mark | Marx, Magolor/Mark | Marx
Comments: 17
Kudos: 71





	1. Prologue

“How do you like this you little shit?!” Marx screeched before firing a high-voltage energy beam through the atmosphere. Kirby dodged with ease, maneuvering and flipping out of the way of each of Marx’s attacks before returning with a brutal mallet swing to the face. The counterattack was enough to send Marx careening through space, but he luckily managed to stop himself in time before falling too far. 

It seemed Marx and Kirby had been fighting for ages now, the intensity of which was higher than any scuffle Dreamland had seen before. Considering how the literal sun and moon were doing battle not long ago, that was saying a lot. The two were evenly matched, and neither were willing to back down. 

“I have worked too damn hard for this. Every part of my plan was perfect,” Marx gloated, his colorful crystal wings spread wide behind him, “And now that I have the power I deserve, I am not letting some little twerp like you take it away from me!” At that moment, Marx shot himself straight at Kirby, his eyes wide with madness as he giggled maniacally. The sinister smile on his face spread ever wider as his body was torn in two, each half going limp as a black hole was summoned between them. Kirby did his best to float swiftly in the opposite direction, struggling against the pull of the black hole. Marx laughed at the sight of his enemy grappling against the pull of oblivion. The fact that this school-age child with god-like powers was lasting this long against him simultaneously called for admiration and grinding frustration.

Eventually, Marx was forced to pull himself back together and close the hole. In that time, Kirby used the momentum he gained from the closing of the black hole to launch himself at Marx one more time. The legendary star warrior gave a mighty battle cry before slamming Marx with his hammer once more, sending the jester flying through space. Marx tried to regain his balance, but the hit he took this time was too strong. His mind fumed with anger.  _ No, this can’t be it. I am not finished yet!  _

_ I will have this planet if it’s the last thing I do!  _

But it was too late. In moments, Marx felt himself collide with a large metallic mass, the glass making up his wings shattering in an instant. His vision was engulfed in fiery light as his body was surrounded in a suffocating warmth. And then, all went black.

  
Kirby watched the explosion of the Galactic Clockwork Nova from afar. How ironic that Marx would be killed by the very star he wished upon. Kirby heaved a heavy sigh, dropping his mallet and matching headband into the vacuum of space. He wouldn’t be needing them anymore. The fight was over, and Planet Popstar was safe. Kirby took one last look at the fiery explosion.  _ Goodbye, my friend,  _ he signed without a sound. The star warrior then turned his back and descended down to Dreamland. There, his friends awaited him and cheered at his arrival like he was some kind of hero. Kirby smiled with them, though he couldn’t shake off the grim feeling from his chest that something was still very, very wrong.


	2. Chapter 1

Magolor carefully studied the vast star maps covering the screens before him. The Ancients had crafted many weapons and scattered them across the universe, it shouldn’t be this hard to find one suitable for his use. And yet, his ship, the Lor Starcutter, could barely pick up any energy signals that day. Perhaps he needed to venture farther? He could surely afford to dimension hop once or twice today before the ship needed to recharge. But did he really want to go through the effort? 

“Attention, Mahoroa Lor,” the Starcutter spoke.

“Lor, I told you, call me Magolor,” Magolor demanded, mildly irritated. The ship ignored him.

“A powerful energy signal has been detected 160 kilometers north from your current location,” the Lor Starcutter informed. 

_ 160 kilometers? That’s not too far from here!  _ Magolor thought,  _ How could I have missed it?  _ He zoomed in closer to one of his maps. Indeed, he saw a group of gold dots, each representing an Ancients energy signal, marking an estimated 160 kilometers as his ship described. The only explanation he could think of for why he hadn’t noticed it prior was perhaps a small wormhole had briefly opened and closed there, leaving behind some Ancients debris. Still, it would be well worth his time to investigate what could be there, especially that rather large dot at the center of the group. “Lor Starcutter, follow those energy signals,” Magolor commanded. “I need to know what they are.”

As the Lor continued its journey to the specified coordinates, Magolor climbed the stairs to the upper decks, his long, pristine white cape and navy blue sleeves billowed behind him. Once he reached the top, he unlocked the hatch and climbed out before making his way towards the ship’s forecastle. He didn’t need air to breath, so he didn’t worry about the lack of a proper atmosphere surrounding his ship’s outer levels. Instead, Magolor contented himself with just leaning against the edge of his ship and watching the stars roll by above him as the Lor Starcutter continued peacefully traversing through space. Before he knew it, Magolor was zoning out, his mind wandering to ponder other things. He was careful not to fall asleep, lest he unconsciously float off of the Lor, but he allowed himself to rest for a while. 

Then, something strange caught his eye. Magolor blinked a few times to make sure what he saw was really there. When it didn’t fade, Magolor quickly ran to the opposite side of the deck to get a closer look. What he saw thoroughly boggled his mind. There, drifting aimlessly through the vacuum of space, was what appeared to be a rather short young man floating amongst a collection of metallic space debris and shattered crystals. Magolor was just about to command the Lor Starcutter to stop in its course when the ship seemed to halt for him. “Your chosen coordinates have been reached,” it said.

_ Wait, here? That can’t be,  _ Magolor thought. He looked around, running up and down the lengths of the Lor.  _ There’s nothing here! _ Magolor then returned to where he was originally standing and went back to eyeing the drifter before him.  _ Perhaps he knows something, _ Magolor thought. With a deep breath, Magolor relaxed and allowed himself to hover just slightly above the floor. He then floated off towards the stranger and grabbed him, holding the man bridal-style in his arms. Once Magolor was sure the young man was secure in his grip, he floated back towards the prow of the Lor and allowed his feet to touch the ground again. He then rushed the man to the medical dock downstairs. After safely dropping off his new guest there, he grabbed some glass jars and went back outside to collect the debris the man left behind. Just before he left, Magolor took one last look at the mysterious stranger and thought to himself,  _ I wonder what your story could be. _

Once Magolor returned, he had brought with him a jar of colorful shattered crystals, an assortment of rusted clockwork parts, and a series of larger, broken gold pieces that he hypothesized were once part of a bigger structure. Magolor set the collected debris aside, promising to himself that he would investigate them later, and instead went to inspect the fellow who came with them, who was still lying unconscious on a cot in the middle of the room. Magolor noted the male to be a rather odd-looking specimen of a person. As previously stated, the man was rather short, but he was also thin like a stick. His lavender hair seemed to stand up on its own and was stained pink at the tips. He was also wearing a peculiar two-tailed hat, with one side being blue and the other red. 

As far as injuries were concerned, it was quite remarkable that the man’s condition wasn’t much worse. He was heavily bruised and, from what Magolor could see from the tears in his clothing, he had some small first and second-degree burns here and there. However, as far as Magolor could tell, his guest had no life-threatening injuries. Magolor decided it’d be best to simply wait patiently for the man to wake up, taking to sitting quietly beside him and reading a book. 

About an hour past when Magolor was promptly yanked from his thoughts by the ear-grating sound of unholy screeching. “I’m not finished with you yet, you little shit!” cried a high-pitched, raspy voice. Magolor dropped his book to look up at the stranger, who had practically shot up from bed and was staring daggers into something in front of him. The stranger then let out a shriek so painfully loud that it sent Magolor cowering behind the chair he was sitting in, attempting to shield his rather sensitive ears. 

“Dude! Would you cut it out with the screaming!?” Magolor yelled back, “You’re on my ship now! And whoever you’re fighting isn’t there!”

Once the screaming stopped, if only briefly, Magolor looked up from behind the chair to find his guest visibly trembling. “Where is my death beam?” the stranger muttered rather loudly. He then started frantically tensing and relaxing his muscles. “Why can’t I shoot anything!?” he screamed, his eyes still wide with panic. 

“Calm down! Calm down!” Magolor called out. Immediately, he ran in front of the stranger and grabbed him by the shoulders, trying to stop him from moving so violently. 

“Outta my way, asshole!” the young man demanded, carelessly shoving Magolor away. “I’ve got a little runt to finish off, and I’m not about to lose!” The stranger then stumbled off the cot, seeming to want to take off into a run. “I’ve got one more trick up my sleeve, and soon you’ll be-” Suddenly, the young man’s thin legs gave out beneath him and he crashed onto the hard, unforgiving tile floor below. His body seemed to sporadically jolt with pain as he remained sprawled on the floor. 

Magolor dashed to the young man’s side and picked him up, allowing his guest to lean against his shoulder. He could still feel the small fellow tremble against his chest, though slightly less violently now than when he first awoke. “Shh… You’re safe now,” Magolor whispered calmly, rubbing small circles into the other male’s lower back, “There’s no one else here. It’s only you and me.”

“What’s happened to me?” the male croaked harshly, his voice seething with a mix of anger and confusion as he looked into his hands. He tried pushing away from Magolor slightly, but didn’t get too far. “And who are you? And where the hell am I?”

“You’re on my ship,” Magolor explained, “I found you drifting through space by yourself, and I decided to rescue you.”

The other male’s eyes started to widen again as he started to become more aware of his present situation. “Wait, if that’s the case, then that means-” He started to feel around his shoulders and his back for something Magolor couldn’t see. Suddenly, Magolor was fully pushed away as the stranger took off running out of the room.

“Hey! Where are you going!” Magolor yelled. There was no response from the stranger, only more loud footsteps that trailed farther away.  _ I better go after him before he hurts himself,  _ Magolor thought,  _ Or before he breaks something.  _ He quickly stood up and went after his guest. He took to hovering a few inches off the ground as he moved, as doing so was not only faster but also meant that his guest couldn’t hear him following should the young man decide to lash out. Magolor didn’t have to travel very far though, as he need only follow the sound of unholy screeching that soon echoed through the Lor’s interior. 

When Magolor found the source of the sound, he caught his guest kneeling on the bathroom floor, his arms wrapped tightly around his person. His white shirt and red bow tie had been tossed aside, and Magolor took note of some observations he missed during his first look at the lavender-haired stranger. Two long, vertical scars were etched into his light skin, and they appeared to still be fairly fresh. From the scars emerged two small golden stumps that made Magolor curious. His guest was still shaking, and Magolor could hear him utter curses, names, and obscenities that were strung together too quickly to make sense of. Among the various curses, however, were quiet sounds of sniffling. 

“It might be rude of me to ask now, but may I have your name?” Magolor asked, leaning against the doorway.

“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking, asshole?” the stranger shot back, refusing to look at Magolor. The sniffling noises stopped.

Magolor took some steps closer to his guest. “You left the door open,” he explained plainly. “So, I’ll ask you again, what’s your name?” 

The room went quiet for a while, with Magolor just standing behind the stranger awaiting a response. At last, the stranger wiped away some stray tears and turned to face Magolor, his eyes still red. “Call me Marx,” he finally said. 

“Alright, Marx,” said Magolor, leaning down and offering Marx a hand to stand up, “I’m Magolor. What do you say we get you patched up and then you can tell me your story?” 

Marx slapped Magolor’s hand away and stood up on his own, albeit with a bit of struggling. “Fine,” he groaned, “But don’t go thinking that just because you stopped me drifting through space that that means I need your help, alright? Because I don’t. And as soon as I’m done patching up I’ll be out of here, got it?”

Magolor nodded with a smile, knowing full well that Marx would not be leaving any time soon. “Of course,” Magolor said. He then led Marx back to the medical dock, prepared to dress his wounds and, more importantly, get all of his own questions answered. 

“Hey, Magolor right?” Marx piped in as they walked through the hallways. 

“Yes?” said Magolor.

“You better remember my name, asshole. I’m gonna be this world’s new overlord someday,” Marx proclaimed. 

Magolor chuckled, “You’re thinking too small.”

“What are you talking about?” Marx seethed, seemingly offended. 

“Well, I suppose you should remember my name for the same reasons,” Magolor explained calmly, “Except I intend to conquer the galaxy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have the beginning of our story! Again, if you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading. And since this is my first fanfic, I would love it if you guys could leave comments, constructive criticism, or critique on how I could improve future chapters. Chapter 2 will be posted Febuary 29th, and updates on this fic in general will happen on the last Saturday of every month. Hope you guys enjoy what's to come!


	3. Chapter 2

“Hold still, will you?” Magolor scolded, struggling to wrap a bandage around Marx’s leg. 

Out of spite, Marx instead aimed a kick straight for Magolor’s face. Magolor saw it coming and quickly dodged, but that didn’t take any of the fun out of it for Marx. “How’s that for still?” he cackled, to which Magolor only groaned in response. 

Marx hated having to be taken care of by other people. He was supposed to be strong, and the strong are supposed to be self-reliant. Yet, a bit of him also felt glad that Magolor was there to help. If nothing else, it at least made tending to his post-battle wounds a little easier. Of course, Marx would never admit to liking Magolor’s help. What kind of intergalactic overlord would he be if he did? Hence why he actively decided to be as much of an inconvenience as possible during the process. 

Also, Marx was certain Magolor had to be an alien. Even going by the standard that everyone was weird in Dreamland, Magolor looked different. He was tall and carried himself with elegance. His long white cape draped heavily over his shoulders and the sleeves of his navy blue tunic were so long and wide that they covered his hands, save for when he raised his arms. The trim of his clothes contained bright yellow gear patterns, which Marx recognized as definitely foreign to Dreamland. Hell, they might’ve been foreign to all of Popstar for that matter. But most mysterious of all was how almost all of Magolor’s face was concealed. Marx could make out dark skin and yellow eyes, but the rest was hidden beneath either the collar of his cape or his weird blue hood with the bun shapes on top. 

“Hey, what happens if I pop this?” Marx chimed, moving his sharp fingernail towards a bubble of skin on his upper arm. 

Magolor promptly grabbed him. “No,” he commanded. 

“Aww, and why not captain?” Marx whined mockingly. 

“Well, best case scenario is that it will hurt a lot. Worst is that it gets infected and possibly kill you,” Magolor huffed. 

“Mahoroa Lor,” the Lor Starcutter spoke, “Your course has been idle for two hours and 30 minutes. Would you like to input new coordinates?”

“No thank you, Lor. Just stay parked here,” Magolor commanded. With a sigh, he tightened the bandage around Marx’s leg and started shifting his focus to the jester’s upper body. 

“Mahoroa?” Marx questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

“Just call me Magolor. Mahoroa is my full name,” Magolor explained. 

Marx smirked. “Seems kinda long for a nickname, doesn’t it? How about I call you Mango instead?”

“No,” Magolor said sternly. 

“Maggie?” Marx teased. 

“Somehow that’s even worse,” Magolor groaned. 

“Mags it is then!” Marx declared. 

“Look, would you shut up!” Magolor ordered. “Either stay still so I can finish this faster or, better yet, answer my questions! Like, what happened to you? How did you get here? And how in the Ancients name are you not dead?”

“Uh huh, and what makes you think I’d tell you anything?” Marx jeered. 

“Well, first of all, I’d wager you’ve got nothing to lose,” Magolor replied, “Secondly, if you don’t stop being a nuisance to me, I think I’ll throw you back into the vacuum of space where I found you.”

Marx gulped at the threat. In truth, he never planned to stay. All he wanted was to get back to Planet Popstar and exact his revenge. However, he didn’t think now would be a good time for that. He had no idea where he was, how far away he was from Popstar, how his powers got drained, or how he could get them back. Chances are that Magolor was his only shot to getting any of those questions answered, and he’d rather not lose that. Not to mention he wasn’t keen on the idea of being sent flying through space again, especially in his current state.  _ He’s kind of right, _ Marx thought,  _ At this point, what do I have to lose?  _

Marx audibly cleared his throat. “Alright fine. You wanna know how I got here? You wanna know the epic tale? The story behind my infamy? The-”

“Just get to the point already,” Magolor interrupted. 

“Alright, fine!” said Marx, “But you better pay attention, because this is gonna be a long one!”

From there, Marx recounted his most recent history on Dreamland and his encounter with the wish-granting clockwork star, Galactic Nova. Dreamland was but a smaller kingdom on Planet Popstar, but it seemed that their local hero, Kirby, successfully kept the peace across the whole planet for decades. Life had grown too peaceful for Marx’s liking; the way those mindless sheeps of townspeople treated Kirby like some kind of messiah made him sick. And so, it was up to him to spread a little chaos. 

“That’s kinda petty, don’t you think? Trying to take over the world because you’re bored,” Magolor asked. “Why didn’t you just find something else easier to do? Why bother going through the effort?”

“I wasn’t just ‘bored’,” Marx explained in air quotes, “I wanted to take that puffy pink bastard down a peg! If there was somebody that Kirby couldn’t defeat, the townspeople would think twice about worshipping him the way they do. Plus, if I rule the world, nobody can stop me from causing all the mischief I want! I would never be bored again!” He then proceeded to do what he believed was a sinister evil laugh. However, because of his high pitched voice it sounded more like annoying, incohesive cackling. Of course, nobody told him that, so he thought he sounded cool and terrifying. In the end, that was all that really mattered to him. There was more to Marx’s motives than just wanting to cause chaos and get back at Kirby, but he would hate it if Magolor saw him as anything but incredibly strong and brilliant. Thus, he left those details out. 

From there, Marx detailed his ingenious plan for taking over his home planet. First, he got the sun and moon to fight. One might consider that to be an incredible feat of discord on its own, but that was child’s play for an experienced trickster like Marx. “Moon-y has always been jealous of how much people seemed to appreciate the day more than the night. You know, since people are actually awake. All I had to do was confirm those insecurities to be true,” he explained, “And then I topped it off by telling them that the sun called them a bitch.” Marx chuckled pridefully to himself. “Funny how even the gods can be just as petty as mortals.”

Once he got the sun and moon fighting, Marx pleaded with Kirby to try and get them to stop. “‘You need to ask the giant comet Nova for help!’ I said. Kid didn’t even ask any questions! He just went ahead and did all the work for me!” Marx laughed. “And then, just when he least expected it, I drop-kicked the little shit into space and took my wish!” 

Marx fell back on the cot. “It was amazing,” he mused. “All that power, that control, it was all mine!” He tried putting it into words, but there was nothing Marx could phrase together that fully encapsulated the feeling of being blessed by the Nova. It was more than an intoxicating rush or a burst of euphoria. It was like he had completely transformed, his new wings a symbol of what he had become. There was no going back.

Magolor shot Marx a confused look. “Wait, if you got your wish, then why are you here? Didn’t you win?”

Marx clicked his tongue. “I  _ should  _ have won,” he reflected, sitting back up, “Everything had gone according to plan. Popstar  _ should  _ have been mind. But that stupid bastard Kirby!” Marx slammed his fists against the cot. The fury of their fight, the rage of his loss, it was all flooding back to him. 

“Hey! I told you to stop moving!” Magolor shot back. 

Marx ignored him. The last thing he remembered was colliding with something after Kirby’s last attack. He figured now that it must have been the Galactic Nova. In which case, that meant that the source of his power was gone, which would explain his sudden weakness. The thought of that just added more fuel to the fire of Marx’s hatred.

“That little bitch took everything from me. Even-” Marx stopped to run his hands over his back again, hoping perhaps his wings were still there after all. All he felt, however, were two golden stumps and the scars that were left behind. Marx seethed with fury. He so badly wanted to cry, but there was no way he’d let Magolor, a mere stranger, see him like that. But it hurt, everything hurt. “I want that kid’s head on a pike!” he screamed, “I want revenge!” 

Magolor paused, seemingly deep in thought. “Marx, how about I offer you a deal?”

“What do you want?” Marx grumbled, irate but intrigued.

“Look, you managed to summon a Galactic Nova,” said Magolor, “Do you even know what that is?”

Marx raised an eyebrow. “It’s a magical wish-granting star. What kind of a dumbass do you take me for?”

“It’s not just a ‘magical wish-granting star’. That Nova is Ancients technology, and there’s more tech like that out there! More wish-granting objects, more weapons of cosmic destruction, even more Novas!” explained Magolor. He wrapped one last bandage around Marx’s abdomen before turning around and leaving the room. “Come with me,” Magolor beckoned. 

Marx did as he was told, following Magolor into what he assumed was the captain’s quarters. It was a neat little room, the walls and floor looked identical to nearly every other room on the ship. At one end of the room was a twin-size bed, neatly made with navy blue sheets. On the opposite end was a rather cluttered desk, with loose paper strewn all over the surface and laying aimlessly on the nearby floor. Magolor made his way towards the fairly organized bookshelf next to that desk and pulled out a long scroll. He beckoned Marx to come closer before he laid out the scroll over the desk, opening it to reveal a diagram of a crown. “This is the Master Crown, one of the most powerful Ancients artifacts in the universe,” Magolor explained, “It’s on my home planet, Halcandra. Whoever wears it is said to be able to possess unlimited power, greater than either of us could even dream of.”

“Then let’s go get it!” Marx exclaimed. 

“Not so fast,” Magolor warned, “The crown is guarded by a powerful four-headed dragon called Landia. I know I’m not strong enough to beat him on my own. And no offense, but you don’t look to be in any condition to fight. I’ve been looking for other Ancients weapons I could use to take him down, but no success so far.”

Marx crossed his arms, mildly irritated. “And what does any of this have to do with me?” he retorted. 

“When I found you, the Lor Starcutter picked up Ancients energy signals coming from you. I think there might still be traces of the Nova left inside you, and if not than in the junk that came with you,” explained Magolor, “I could use your energy signature to track down equally powerful pieces of Ancients technology. We’ll use that to take down Landia, and then I’ll give you the Master Crown to restore your power.”

Marx nodded along, “So what’s in it for you? I thought you wanted to take over the cosmos too or whatever. Why give the weapon of ultimate power to me?”

“Well, if we’re lucky, we might find another Nova and be able to use that to get your powers back right away. In that case, you’ll fight Landia for me and I’ll take the Master Crown. Either way, your powers are restored, you get revenge on Kirby, and, at the end of the day, we  _ both  _ hold control of the universe,” Magolor finished. 

Marx stood there and pondered for a minute, tapping his chin in thought. “So what you’re saying is: I help you find the weapon and take down the dragon, you get my powers back, and then we  _ share  _ control of the universe?” Marx clarified. Magolor answered affirmatively. In response, Marx clicked his tongue and shook his head. “And why would I want to share any of that power with you?” he said sharply. 

“Well, you could always take the alternative where I throw you off the ship and back into space. Good luck trying to restore your power by yourself,” Magolor replied. “If I were you, I’d say I’m your best option.” He then rolled up his sleeve a little and held out his hand. “We could rule this universe together, Marx. We’ll split it 50/50, you take your part and I’ll take mine, and then we never have to see each other again if you don’t want to. What do you say, deal?”

Marx considered it for a moment. Magolor was right, he didn’t have too many other options. The thought of getting his powers back and getting to rule the universe was appetizing. Besides, he didn’t necessarily have to follow his entire end of the bargain, right? Who was to say he couldn’t just steal the crown for himself after they beat the dragon? Then he could become even stronger! Marx quickly took Magolor’s hand and shook it with gusto. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a deal Mags!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry today's upload is a little late. ^^ Thank you so much for the kudos, comments, and bookmarks on the last couple chapters. It really means a lot to me, more than you can know. Hope you guys like this one just as much. 
> 
> Next chapter comes on March 28th!


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, back on Dreamland...

“We can’t afford to waste any more time! We need to take Kirby into space now!” Meta Knight slammed his fists against the table, clearly exacerbated. 

King Dedede leaned back in his chair at the opposite end of the long table, propping his hands behind his head. “Relax Meta Knight, Kirby just saved the planet. Again…” he replied, “Look, the point is, we’re safe now. The kid needs a break.” 

“He can’t afford to take breaks right now,” said Meta Knight, “If there really are more of those clockwork stars out there, we have to destroy them before they fall into the wrong hands!”

“And what if there’s nothin’ out there, huh?” King Dedede reasoned, “What if yer knights are all wrong?”

“We still can’t afford to take any chances,” Meta Knight fired back.

“And what if something comes to attack us while ya two are off in space? Ever thought of that?” King Dedede asked, now growing ever more exacerbated himself.

Meta Knight crossed his arms, “Perhaps if you weren’t so lazy and lax with your forces, the Waddle Dee army could actually stand a chance against threats!” 

“Oh, so now this is my fault! I see how it is!” Dedede slammed his large, heavy hands against the table,causing it to rumble and shake beneath them.

“My King, I have been your advisor for decades now,” Meta Knight started calmly, “But every year Dreamland gets attacked by unseen threats and we have to rely on Kirby to save us. It’s time that we become more proactive! And since you have refused to follow my advice for so long, I’m starting to think I could rule this kingdom better than you!”

At that, the king immediately stood up and marched towards the masked knight, his fists balled and teeth clenched. “Is that why ya tried to take it over then?” 

Meta Knight looked straight into the eyes of his king, the fervor in his gaze unwavering. “I know what is best for Dreamland!” he insisted.

“Yer lucky I didn’t lock ya up, traitor!” yelled Dedede. 

The two continued to bicker and bicker and bicker, throwing insults left and right like they were firing cannons during a war. Kirby slumped his head against the table, breathing a heavy sigh. Why did he have to come? Why did they even invite him if they only planned to fight amongst themselves? Sure, the matter at hand did concern him. But it’s not like King Dedede and Meta Knight ever asked for his opinion, especially on “serious” topics like this one.

Kirby soon felt a friendly tap on his shoulder. “Hey, ya okay buddy?” 

Kirby looked up to see his best friend, Bandana Dee. They used to serve as Dedede’s captain of the guard, but has since broken away so that they could fight alongside Kirby more freely. They still kept the standard Waddle Dee uniform, but also wore a blue bandana around their head as a symbol of their independence. 

Kirby shook his head to tell his friend that no, he was not doing okay. 

“Ya wanna go outside then?” They asked. Kirby nodded and followed Bandana Dee to the castle balcony. 

Looking over the balcony was always Kirby’s favorite part of visiting Castle Dedede. The castle itself was built upon the tallest hill in Dreamland, and the balcony was high enough that it felt like he could almost touch the clouds. Granted, if he really wanted to, Kirby could just fly himself up there. But standing at the balcony was much less work. The best part, however, was when he walked to the edge and could view the entire vast kingdom of Dreamland from above.

Kirby immediately jumped against the railing at the edge of the balcony, exhaling as a warm spring breeze blew through his pastel pink hair. This was exactly what he needed. 

“Ya look like yer feelin’ better already,” Bandana Dee remarked.

“Poyo!” Kirby replied, smiling cheerfully. He waved for Bandana Dee to come join him at the railing. Bandana Dee obliged, leaning their back against the stone railing and crossing their arms. 

“Hey, since we’re out here, mind tellin’ me what’s been botherin’ ya, Kirby?” Bandana Dee asked, “Maybe I can help ya.”

Kirby frowned, looking straight down at the ground below. “Poyo…” he mumbled sadly. Without looking at Bandana Dee, he signed,  _ Dads are fighting.  _

Bandana Dee chuckled, knowing that “Dads” in this case referred to King Dedede and Meta Knight. “Well, ya know how they are,” said Bandana Dee, “They’re always gonna bicker and argue, but I’m sure by tomorrow they would just kiss and make up and all that.” 

Kirby nodded along. It was true that the two did fight a lot, and usually they would move past it rather quickly, but it still didn’t make him feel any better. Not to mention the last part sounded a bit more mean-spirited than usual. Kirby looked at Bandana Dee and decided to ask them about something else that was bothering him.  _ Do you think Marx is really dead?  _ Kirby signed. 

Bandana Dee returned a puzzled look. “Kirby, ya launched him into a giant metal star and it exploded. It’d take a miracle to survive that.”

Kirby frowned with dismay.  _ I don’t like killing friends.  _ He signed. 

Bandana Dee gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “Kirby, I know this hurts. But don’t forget, Marx isn’t your friend. He tricked ya, remember? He got the sun and moon to fight and stole your wish, not to mention he put us all in danger,” they explained. 

Kirby huffed. Even if that was all true, Marx was still his friend once.  _ We grew up together, you know that?  _ Kirby told Bandana Dee.  _ We used to go prank King Dedede all the time. He’d even stay over at my house sometimes.  _ Kirby could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could still see Marx’s devious little smile and hear his high pitched laughter. Why? Things seemed so good between them before. Why did Marx do it?

Bandana Dee immediately pulled Kirby towards them, their hands gripped at his shoulders to hold the young star warrior steady. “Hey, Kirby, look at me,” they commanded, “Please don’t cry.” Bandana Dee wiped a stray tear from Kirby’s eye before looking down to contemplate what to say. “Look, people change, okay? Ya did what ya gotta do to keep us all safe. And maybe someday, when ya two are reborn again, Marx can be yer friend for real.”

Kirby nodded, though he knew that wasn’t going to happen for a very, very long time. Bandana Dee looked off to the side before a lightbulb seemingly went off over their head. “Hey, ya know what’ll cheer ya up? A day out on the town, just the two of us! We’ll be back before yer dads even notice we’re gone! What do ya say?” they proposed. 

Kirby bounced up and down, clapping his hands with glee. “Poyo! Poyo!” he exclaimed with joy, all prior sadness seemingly dissipated.

“Then come on, let’s go!” Bandana Dee took Kirby’s hand and the two of them ran off, sneaking out of the castle before going to enjoy their day. 

As soon as Kirby and Bandana Dee left, every moment was filled with activity. They ate sweets at Kirby’s favorite patisserie, played games at the arcade, and ended the evening at Chef Kawasaki’s restaurant. All the while, friendly faces would pop in and out of the crowd to congratulate Kirby on his newest victory and thank him for saving the day. Kirby didn’t always understand why what he did was worthy of such praise, but it filled his heart with joy to see his friends were happy because of him. Bandana Dee was mainly glad that Kirby’s good deeds were earning them discounts when they ordered food, which always had to be in massive portions to appease Kirby’s taste. 

Once the sun set below the horizon, the two started to make their way back to Castle Dedede. Kirby was in a swell mood, skipping with each step along the cobblestone pathway up the hill. His stomach was full and a big smile lay on his face. 

“Did ya have fun?” Bandana Dee asked.

“Poyo! Poyo!” Kirby exclaimed with glee, pumping his fists in the air. 

“Kirby! Where have you been?” A low voice scolded. Kirby’s heart sank as two familiar figures approached him from the other side of the path. The source of the voice was a rather short but muscular man in armor, his face concealed beneath a mask. The other man accompanying him was tall and fat, wearing a big heavy coat and a fluffy red hat. It was his dads. 

“Come on Kirby, ya can’t just run off like that without tellin’ us. We’d get worried about ya,” Dedede said with concern. 

“Poyo…” Kirby sighed sadly. 

“Never mind that,” Meta Knight said. He looked to Dedede and the two shared a nod before the knight continued to speak, “Kirby, the King and I have talked it over. I’m going to be taking you into space.”

Kirby stomped his foot on the ground. “Poyo po?!” he whined, as if to say, “But why?!”.

“Kirby, we don’t have much choice,” Meta Knight explained. “That clockwork star Marx tricked you into summoning? There’s more of them, dozens in just this galaxy alone. You wouldn’t want someone else to use them like Marx did, right?” 

Kirby nodded sadly. Meta Knight did have a point, but he didn’t want to leave his friends. If he left, who would be there to protect Dreamland?

“We can’t let those stars fall into the wrong hands Kirby. You and I are going to seek out as many as we can and destroy them,” said Meta Knight, “The less stars there are, the less likely someone else would try to use them to harm us.”

Kirby answered in agreement. It wasn’t like he had much choice anyway. Sure, he was much more powerful than Meta Knight and technically wasn’t under his jurisdiction. But Kirby did want to protect his friends, and Meta Knight seemed wise enough to know how to do it. Not to mention he hated it when Meta Knight got mad at him. Besides, if there were less clockwork stars, they’d be less likely to corrupt another victim like Marx.

Next, it was King Dedede’s turn to give his command. “Bandana Dee, I want ya to ready our troops. While Kirby’s off in space, you’ll be leadin’ the Waddle Dees to protect Dreamland.”

Bandana Dee gave a little bow. “Yes, your highness,” they said before taking off to their post. Kirby watched with dismay as his friend immediately went to their station, the King following close behind them. It had only been a few days since he won his toughest battle yet, and now Kirby was on the road again. 

Meta Knight, sensing Kirby’s disappointment, gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Come on Kirby,” he said calmly. “You can still have a few day’s rest while my knights finish repairing the Halberd.”

Kirby chuckled. He had nearly forgotten about how he had sent Meta Knight’s ship crashing into the ocean when Meta Knight tried taking over Dreamland himself. That happened several months ago, and he was surprised the knights were close to getting it running at all. 

“Once they’re done though, we’ll be heading to space as soon as possible, understood?” said Meta Knight.

“Poyo!” Kirby exclaimed while giving a salute. Perhaps going on a space adventure with dad wouldn’t be so bad after all. Who knows? They might find more than what they were looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks again for the responses on the last chapter. I am truly very, very grateful. With the first 3 chapters now up, I can confidently say that the POV will follow the same pattern of Magolor, Marx, then Kirby, unless otherwise stated. Most likely, I will keep things pretty consistent, but we'll just have to see. Anyway, next chapter should be up April 25th, and we'll be back on the Lor Starcutter. Hope you guys like this chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoy my very first publicly available fanfic! If you've made it to the end, thank you so, so much for reading. It really means a lot. I can't make any definite promises, but my goal is to publish a new chapter of this story on the last Saturday of every month. So look forward to more updates on those days!


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